Page 85 - 2020 December 1 Bonhams Hong Kong, Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of art

Another rubric was created to include two more ‘noble’ occupations. 筆筒玻璃質，底層霏雪地，外套寶石紅，壁極厚，直筒身，底部内收
The Four Noble Occupations according to Confucian ideals were: 成圈足，外壁紅料套飾亭閣兩間，閣内一人展卷，閣外一農人及耕牛
scholars, farmers, fishermen, and woodcutters. These occupations were 犁田，亭閣之間曲橋相連，橋上一人負荊，一人垂釣，組成「漁樵耕
seen as providing the most benefit for the state and society at large. The 讀」四賢，人物亭台之間更飾梅蘭竹菊松四卉，淺刻細部，栩栩如生。
Four Noble Occupations had associations of leaving behind the strife of
the city and ambitious court officials in the palace, and returning to nature 套料玻璃器工藝難度極大，可比較一件波士頓美術館藏雍正白料套紅
in the mountains or countryside while still sustaining society. 料蝠桃紋筆筒，其工藝及裝飾風格為本件筆筒之先範，惟此件白地與
本件稍有出入，本件白料更為透明，館藏編號1986.643。
Compare with a larger Yongzheng mark and period red overlay glass
‘peaches and bats’ brushpot in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, (acc.
no.1986.643). See also a related red overlay glass brushpot, Qianlong
mark and period, illustrated by S.Marsh, Brushpots: A Collector’s View,
Barcelona, 2020, pp.68-69.

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